Motherboards tie everything in your computer together.
Wonder what all those parts are on your motherboard?
A typical motherboard contains areas for computer memory, CPU, AGP, PCI and more. See a close up of motherboard slots on the next.
Computer hardware, such as memory, PCI and AGP connect to
the motherboard through slots. Have you ever seen a motherboard bridge? .
The chipset is the "glue" that connects the
microprocessor to the rest of the motherboard and therefore to the rest of the
computer. On a PC, it consists of two basic parts -- the north bridge and the
south bridge. Take a look at computer memory.
Computer memory has a big effect on system performance.
Pictured above is SIMM memory, or single in-line memory module, which is a type
of RAM memory module. See DIMM memory on the next.
SODIMM, or small outline dual in-line memory module, is made with
integrated circuits and is about half the size of DIMM modules. See
where RAM is located inside a desktop computer next.
A RAM upgrade can greatly extend your computer's
lifespan. The next picture is of a type of memory that your computer
uses on start-up.
The basic input-output system BIOS is the first
thing you see when you turn on your computer. BIOS gives important
instructions to the computer hardware on the next image.
A microprocessor -- also known as a CPU or central
processing unit -- is a complete computation engine that is fabricated
on a single chip. See a high-performance processor on the next image
that was originally used in supercomputers.
64-bit processors have entered the mainstream,
such as this eight-generation Athlon processor. However, you need the
hard drive on the next page to store all the information processed by
your computer.
A hard disk is a sealed aluminum box, which has
been opened in this photo. The controller electronics are attached to
one side, controlling the read/write mechanism and the motor that spins
the platters.
This hard drive has three platters, also called
hard disks, and six read/write heads.
The arm on a hard disk holds the read/write heads
and has to be incredibly fast and precise. There is one arm per
read/write head, and all of them are lined up to form one unit.
The Integrated Drive Electronics interface is the
most popular way to connect a hard drive to a PC.
The Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus
provides direct access to system memory for connected devices. PCI
slots can be used for network, graphics and sound cards.
PCI cards use 47 pins to attach to a PCI slot.
Pins are thin metal feet that allow computer chips to be attached to a
circuit board. The next piece of hardware replaced the PCI as the
standard way to connect a graphic card.
An AGP, or accelerated graphics port, allows the
operating system to designate RAM for use by the graphics card (like the
one above) on the fly. Take a closer look at a graphics card on the
next page.
Like a motherboard, a graphics card is a printed
circuit board that houses a processor and RAM. If you are into computer
games, you probably want this next piece of hardware.
PCI Express or PCIe eliminates the need for the
AGP by accepting more data and supplying more power to video cards.
However, the item in the next picture has been replacing PCIe as the new
standard.
In this photo you can see three small transformers
(yellow) in the center. To the left are two cylindrical capacitors. The
large finned pieces of aluminum are heat sinks. Take a closer look at a
heat sink next.
